Tori Garcia (credit: Tori Garcia)
Tori Garcia (credit: Tori Garcia)
Starting over your professional career as an artist in an entirely different country from where you were born is no easy task and is a challenge one must hurdle. It means literally beginning from scratch and building up your name from the ground up.
This scenario is applicable to brand new singer-actress Tori Garcia who, although she is Filipino, did not grow up here in the Philippines but in Singapore. She is unique in that sense because it raises the question: “What would it take for Tori Garcia to make a name for herself here?”
In the years I have been doing my sub-section “Spotlight on…” which I created for my column MusicMatters, it is with the intent to raise awareness and put the focus on artists I believe more people should know about. Naturally, not everyone will know who these artists are, but that is also the point here: to not feature people who are already overexposed and almost everyone has heard of.
I just follow a different drumbeat than most others do and that in return has opened more doors for a good number of artists I have done a solo feature on and interviewed. Furthermore, for those who have fallen under the radar over time, my features on them have re-opened opportunities for them and recharged their careers. They themselves have acknowledged this and tell me often about it.
To feature new faces, rising stars, and sometimes overlooked artists have always been one of my primary objectives in “Spotlight on… “. By doing so, it tilts the balance of mainstream exposure a little more to those I believe need it the most. Such is the case now for Tori Garcia.
It is worth noting that this will be Tori Garcia’s very first solo interview for a major media outlet. Now, here is the story of Tori Garcia, a young and upcoming singer-actress, trying to make a name for herself this time in the local entertainment industry.
Everyone needs that “push” and that opportunity to be known although, realistically speaking, not everyone will get that chance, and very few in the constantly undulating waves of aspiring talents will eventually get it. So, on my part, I try to pick the best of the bunch each time I do my “Spotlight on … “.
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- What/who first inspired you to get into music?
Tori Garcia: My mom told me I sang before I spoke so singing just came naturally to me. But when I heard Hillary Duff, I always appreciated how her music moved people, especially when I was in grade school. Music became a big part of my life since then.
- What/who first inspired you to get into acting?
Tori Garcia: I was studying Mass Communications and I was always behind the camera but we were trained to do everything in production. I wondered what it would be like to be in front of the camera. Especially since we were taught to critique actors, I too wanted to act myself.
- What was the first song(s) you learned?
Tori Garcia: “Footloose.”
- Is your family musical?
Tori Garcia: My dad was a drummer in a band when he was younger.
- Were you influenced by old records & tapes? Which ones?
Tori Garcia: I always admired Rn’B & Hip-Hop from the 90’s like Nelly, TLC, Jennifer Lopez.
- Were you influenced by old or new movies? Which ones?
Tori Garcia: I am more influenced by newer movies because I kinda got into acting later than I did with singing. I especially loved Disney films and Marvel/DC films because of the way they inspired, connected and entertained the audience. Psychological movies like the “The Girl On The Train” particularly spoke to me. It made me love my craft more as I would love to be able to impact my audience by bringing the character to life through my acting.
- Who was your first teacher in music?
Tori Garcia: Mr. Ryan Manal of Grand Music Palace.
- Who was your first mentor/instructor in acting?
Tori Garcia: Director Rahyan Carlos.
- Which famous musicians inspired you to pursue a career in singing?
Tori Garcia: Ariana Grande.
- Which famous Filipino actors have you gotten to work with so far?
Tori Garcia: Nino Muhlach, Yassi Pressman, Dennis Padilla, Christopher De Leon, Dennis Trillo, Heart Evangelista, Bret Jackson, Keanna Reeves.
- How often and for how long do you practice?
Tori Garcia: I trained for about a year under Direk Rahyan Carlos using the Chubbuck technique.
- What do you practice – exercises, new tunes, hard tunes, etc.?
Tori Garcia: I do vocalizing a lot and try strengthening my natural voice because I was pretty used to my falsetto. 13. You are in that phase of your young career wherein it is only natural that you are still experimenting with your sound. In short, finding your true musical inclinations.
- What genres are you most comfortable with and which you feel are best suited for you?
Tori Garcia: Acoustic Pop, Jukebox, Bossa Nova and Acoustic.
- What are your fondest musical memories? In your house? In your neighborhood or town?
Tori Garcia: The fondest musical memory I had was when someone had broken my heart and I tried to distract myself so I tried to learn guitar and I did and I wrote a song and performed it in a gig that I had in Singapore and everyone loved my original composition.
- What are your immediate music career goals? (Next 1 to 3 years.)
Tori Garcia: I would love to be able to have an album and one song that would hit No.1 in the charts.
- What are your immediate acting career goals? (Next 1 to 3 years.)
Tori Garcia: I would love to be able to be given an opportunity to be the leading lady in any series or movie.
Tori Garcia (credit: Tori Garcia)
- What are your long-term career goals in singing?
Tori Garcia: To be able to put out continuous content.
- What are your long-term career goals in acting?
Tori Garcia: I would love to be able to find my genre in acting and do a lot of films. Right now I’m aiming to enter the action films genre.
- What are the qualities you have which you feel set you apart from all the other young and talented local singer-actresses we have now?
Tori Garcia: I believe that because I grew up in another country with a different culture, I believe I am able to give a new creative take on being a certain character, so singing a song is another expression of my artistic inclinations. I believe that because of my clear difference in culture and that I’m very honest and straightforward, people would find me refreshing or new in the showbiz industry.
- If there is one song–old or new–that perfectly encapsulates who you are today, in terms of your thought processes and how you approach life in general, what would that song be?
Tori Garcia: “Work” by Rihanna. I’m just kidding! “I Can Go The Distance.”
- Who is Tori Garcia in a nutshell?
Tori Garcia: Tori Garcia is an artist driven by her sole passion for the art of acting and storytelling in hopes that her efforts would inspire or alleviate the moods of the people who watch her. And I hope to eventually be able to make a difference in this world through my advocacy of education and helping the poor through my work in showbiz.
- Where can everyone reading this article find all of your artist and fan pages, etc.?
Tori Garcia: On my fan page @teamtorigarcia on Facebook (search Tori Garcia) or my social media handles @aritorigarcia Twitter and Instagram @ariiegarcia Snapchat.
- Any upcoming gigs or events you would like to promote?
Tori Garcia: Yes I have 2 movies coming up in 2017 “Kamandag Ng Droga” and Cinemalaya’s “Ang Guro Kong Di Marunong Magbasa” and I am also the leading lady of Rivermaya’s new upcoming single, “Manila,” music video. There’s more but that’s all I can say for now! The page will be more updated!